HISTORY

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According to the Utah Automated Geographic Reference Center, Utah County has a total area of 2,144 square miles, or 1,372,160 acres of land. Much of the county, however, is not available for agricultural uses. A significant portion of the county is mountainous, forested, and publically owned. The valley lands at lower elevations are predominately privately owned, with Utah Lake occupying a large portion. The Utah Division of Water Resources reports that in Utah County farmers are growing 59,500 acres of alfalfa and hay, 8,600 acres of vegetables and corn, and 5,600 acres of fruits and berries. Compared to previous years, there are very few acres of farmland left in Utah County.

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As the population of Utah County grows, it will be increasingly difficult to provide locally grown foods for even a fraction of the county’s residents. The July 2015 census estimates that Utah County has a population of 575,205 residents, who live in 25 municipalities and in the unincorporated areas of the county. Population estimates from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget predict that the 2050 population will be more than two times the current population, with a projected 1,216,695 people calling Utah County home. As more land on the edges of Salt Lake County continues to be developed, a significant amount of growth and development will shift southward into Utah County. Certain crops can only be grown in areas with specific microclimates commonly found in Utah County; however, much of this land is directly in the path of future growth.

Most other areas of the country will also convert farmland into urban areas, but Utah is unique in that most of our prime farmlands are directly adjacent to the path of development. Land projections estimate that 63,876 acres of farmland—half of the total remaining farmland in Utah County—will be developed by 2050. As a result, most of the high-quality, food-producing farmlands will be lost to urbanization. Once these lands are developed, there are no large amounts of peripheral farmlands for agriculture to move to.

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Agriculture has been an integral part of Utah County’s heritage. The county is home to some of the most vibrant components of the state’s agricultural economy; it is a major producer of popular specialty crops, including pears, cherries, apples, apricots, peaches, and more. Because Utah County has the specific microclimates necessary to grow many of these fruits, as well as several vegetables, it is an ideal location for diverse agricultural production. Due to its production of specialty crops, in 2012 the county was ranked first in the state for total cash receipts from farming and crop production.

As Utah County plans for population growth, it is important to remember two things: 1) Agriculture is better protected and housing is more affordable in communities where infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads, and schools are already available and 2) taxes paid on agricultural lands subsidize residential development. Studies done by the University of New Hampshire on the cost of community services conclude that residential development contributes less in revenue than they require in government expenditures.

Cities need to better understand the value of agricultural lands in relation to their low public services costs. Though agricultural lands are not considered major tax revenue generators, they are less expensive to maintain and provide other services that are often overlooked by economic analyses.

AGRICULTURE IS BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT TO UTAHNS

Through Envision Utah’s Your Utah, Your Future community surveying and visioning process it became clear that Utahns are very concerned about the state’s agricultural future. In 2007, almost one third of Utahns did not have a strong opinion about farming and ranching. By 2014, however, three quarters of Utahns agreed that farming and ranching are critical to Utah’s future. Through the Your Utah, Your Future survey, 97% of the over 50,000 respondents chose one of two scenarios in which Utah substantially increases its production of agricultural products.

Utah County residents envision feeding their families with healthy, high-quality food grown in Utah. They see an abundance of locally grown products as part of a healthy lifestyle that will improve the quality of life for them and future generations. Utah County residents also envision being more self-reliant and less dependent on other states and countries to provide their food. They also want a future in which Utah’s food industry provides jobs for residents.

Utah County has the resources, knowledge, and ability to produce a wide variety of local food, but current trends indicate Utah County will face significant challenges in growing and maintaining agriculture. One major hurdle is the loss of agricultural land and agricultural water as farms and ranches are converted into houses, businesses, and other commercial uses. Action must be taken now to protect and preserve farmland. If deliberate and thoughtful policies are adopted, agriculture in Utah County can continue, and even thrive, well into the future.

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UTAH COUNTY AGRICULTURE TOOLBOX PROCESS

Summer 2015 – Envision Utahformed Steering and Stakeholder Committees to guide the toolbox creation process. Members of the committees began to review and integrate existing best practices, strategies, and plans.

Fall 2015 – A stakeholder meeting was held to kick off the project and encourage discussion among stakeholders. The group brainstorming activity at the end of the meeting resulted in the initial drafts of the toolbox’s goals and strategies.

Winter 2016 – Envision Utah met with stakeholders individually to further define and develop the goals and strategies of the toolbox. A meeting was held with Utah State University to talk about agricultural education and how agricultural research can benefit Utah County and the state overall.

Envision Utah convened the project Steering Committee to review the draft toolbox strategies. After some changes, the strategies were presented to theStakeholder group, who discussed them and filled in other gaps in the toolbox. A group exercise at the end of the meeting revealed which goals and strategies the stakeholders thought were a higher priority and which strategies were thought to be less supported or effective.

Spring 2016 – With the help of stakeholders and Utah agriculture experts, Envision Utah drafted the Utah County Agriculture Toolbox. Envision Utah staff worked to write detailed explanations of each strategy in the toolbox, seeking guidance by reaching out to stakeholders and by holding group meetings with experts on different topics.

Summer 2016 – Envision Utah held additional Steering Committee and stakeholder meetings to review a near-final draft of the toolbox. These meetings helped identify and resolve any remaining gaps in information and confirmed the layout and content of the toolbox.

Summer/Fall 2016 – Envision Utah made final edits to the toolbox and finalized the layout, design, and content of the document.

Fall 2016 – The kickoff meeting for the Utah County Agriculture Toolbox was held, and the final draft of the toolbox was released and made available to lawmakers, organizations, communities, and individuals across the county and the state.

RESOURCES

There are many programs, grants, and other resources available to Utah County agricultural producers. The above document lists organizations, agencies, and offices working to benefit farmers and ranchers and showcases example programs or grants. This resource is meant to be a jumping-off point for aspiring and existing farmers and ranchers looking to benefit their farm operations; it is not, however, a comprehensive list.

The stakeholder group included representatives from local and state government, representatives from nonprofit organizations, farmers, land owners, business owners, academics, and influential figures from other sectors of the community. These stakeholders were selected based on their backgrounds, the expertise they brought to the process, and the influence they have on their communities.